LET'S COOK: Start the new year right with a splash of color

January 11, 2012

In case you are wondering about the color of your next car, the walls in your den, a necktie or even a scarf -- help is available.

Yes, you no longer have to wonder if your color will be fashionably acceptable because the color of the year 2012 has just been released.

It is exciting. In fact, I found it to be more interesting than the recent political tango in Iowa. Are you ready? Have you any guesses? Maybe you should be sitting down as this overwhelming colorful news flash is released! Brace yourself ...

Article Photos

Charles Repnow is a freelance writer who lives in Rugby. His column appears on alternate Wednesdays in The Minot Daily News.

A color called Tangerine Tango has been announced as the winner of this prestigious honor.

This spirited, reddish-orange has beaten out all other contestants in swimsuit, talent, and personality. The panel of judges felt that its "sophisticated and dramatic undertones" gave it a clear lead.

Tangerine Tango was crowned on the color runway by last year's 2011 winner -- Honeysuckle -- a bold shade of pink which in the past year has been courageous, confident, and vital and reported to have even been around the neck of Speaker of the House John Boehner. He, too, must have thought it was a color for every day with nothing "everyday" about it.

Each year the Pantone Color Institute, a private company that has built a global reputation as an authority on color and color systems, announces the color of the year. They select this color by an intense process of scouting the world looking for color influences. Often resources for their inspiration come from artists, films, museums, upcoming sports events and instinct.

For those unfamiliar with Pantone, the company started in the 1950s as a printing house. Upon hiring Lawrence Hebert, the company began work on creating a color standard that would guarantee uniformity across many different devices, including our ever-present digital printing. It is interesting to note that Hebert was a Hofstra grad and was planning on going to medical school. However, he became too intrigued with a uniform color standard that he ditched his idea of studies to become a physician.

Through his knowledge of chemistry, he created a palette of 12 stock pigments from which a full range of color inks could be mixed with precise results time after time. His sincere interest and brilliance has made a profound impact on the world of color.

I became aware of Pantone Color Institute while attending photography school. This is a world renowned authority on color. The Pantone Matching System is an important step to many manufacturers and how their products are relayed in identical color tones all over the world. If you have ever experienced picking out a color for paint or created a design on your computer, only to have the final product look completely different than what you saw, the Pantone color matching process is the solution to this problem.

The Pantone Matching System was introduced in the early 1960s and has become the color standard for printers, decorators, and anyone working with color who want the tone to be consistent.

Here is an example from Kodak. Kodak had to use more than one company to print its film packaging. Confronted with film boxes with varying shades of yellow, customers tended to leave the darker shaded ones on the retail shelf, thinking that they were older and thus the film was not as fresh as the brighter ones. With the Pantone systems, companies printing the boxes for Kodak all began producing them with the exact same color tone. Problem solved!

So as you began the New Year, be brave and take a dance step or two with Tangerine Tango. You may want to start out small if you are a bit color shy -- maybe a keychain would be a great place to start. Who knows your front entrance may end up dancing the tango!

For some, anything orange is simply too much. They perhaps feel this way because they ate too many of those candy corns at grandma's house on Thanksgiving while pulled up to her orange Formica countertop. They may also have been held up in road construction for several minutes. After viewing the wardrobe of the highway workers, they swore they would never wear anything orange.

I personally am going to keep an eye on all politicians to see which one is savvy and smart enough to know that when asking for a vote, a tango is a good place to start.

Recipe

This classic French dessert is pure enjoyment. Often when baking, it is best to plan ahead, and so is the case with this recipe. It is a good idea to make this a day ahead to be sure it's thoroughly chilled before putting it under the broiler. Then it needs to be chilled again.

Orange Crme Brulee

2 medium oranges, peeled and cut into small pieces, drained

1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

7 egg yolks

1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar plus 1 tablespoon

Dash of salt

2 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

Place 2 tablespoons orange pieces and 1 teaspoons almonds in each of ten 6-ounce baking dishes. Set aside. In a small mixing bowl beat egg yolks until very thick, yet light. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup dark brown sugar and salt. Scald cream in top double boiler. In a bowl slowly stir small amount of scalded cream into egg mixture until egg yolks have been warmed by cream. This procedure will prevent curdling. Add the rest of cream and stir in orange peel. Return to double boiler and cook over boiling water, stirring constantly until mixture coats spoon.

Immediately pour 1/2 cup of mixture over each baking dish. Chill well. The remaining brown sugar can be evenly distributed over the chilled creme in baking dishes and placed under broiler. Broil until sugar melts. Watch it like a hawk so that this does not burn! This will be the perfect time to set your cell phone in the freezer. No texting allowed! You will want to experiment with your broiler so that you can achieve that perfect sugar crust. Chill again -- best chill overnight until very cold. The topping will be crisp.

There's a world of decadence waiting as the single sound of a dessert spoon fractures this caramel pond. You will want to plate this dessert with an attractive orange slice and a kiss of mint. You may even find a dessert napkin with a flare of tangerine tango. You should be aware that by inviting your guests to share this dessert, with such flamboyant napkins, the rhythm for the rest of the evening may include another eight embracing dance steps!